Closure



NOV. 25, 1952 M, BEST ETAL 2,619,205

CLOSURE Filed June 5, 1950 2 SHEETSSHEET '1 24 IB/A 26a 28 INVENTORS.

MELVIN H. BEST 84 CHARLES E. uBo/vm' A T TORNE Y Nov. 25, 1952 M. H. BEST EFAL- 2,619,205

cLosiJRE Filed June 5, 1950 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- INVENTORS. MELVIN H BEST CHARLES B. LEBO/VZZZ' ye/M A T TORNE Y Patented Nov. 25, 1952 2,619,205 CLOSURE Melvin H. Best and Charles B. Le Bon, III, Pasadena, Calif., assignors to Arcadia Metal Products, Arcadia, Calif., a corporation of California Application June 5, 1950, Serial No. 166,208

2 Claims. (01. 189-64) This invention is concerned with closures and more particularly provides improvements in prefabricated closures having slidable panels.

The prefabricated closure of the invention has an all metal construction, save for possibly the panes, which eliminates all possibility of warpage and consequent troublesome and incorrect alignment of sliding and stationary members.

For easy operation of a closure having a sliding panel, it is highly important that the individual members'of the closure be accurately fabricated and correctly assembled. Further more, it is desirable that the closure be so constructed that when installed the panels may be readily removed for the replacement of broken panes.

The closure of the invention is relatively inexpensive to fabricate, easily installed and maybe readily disassembled, repaired or adjusted. It lends itself to mass manufacture, for it is built of a minimum numbe of rolled steel sections which give an exceptionally strong and sturdy construction. The jambs and head of the closure frame are of like construction as are certain panel members, thus lessening the cost of manufacture.

In preferred practice, the frame of the closure is completely assembled at the factory and shipped to the installation site inthis condition. The sash or panel is shipped in a knocked down condition, assembled near the site and installed after the frame is in position in the wall.

Generally speaking, the panel or sash of the closure of the invention includes a bottom cross member havinga groove on its upper inside face and a groove on its bottom face. We prefer to fabricate this member by rolling a sheet into an H section. In our preferred embodiment, there is a double thickness of the sheet on the sides of the top groove and a single thickness of the sheet on the sides of the bottom groove. A pane is mounted in the upper groove of the member.

Each mullion or upright member of the pan-e1 is manufactured by rolling a sheet into a U section, forming a longitudinal groove extending the length of the inside face of the mullion. We prefer to fasten the mullions at their lower ends to opposite ends of the bottom cross member by sheave or rolle brackets which are disposed at the bottom corners of the panel within the bottom groove of the bottom member and in the grooves of the mullions. Sheaves are rotatably mounted within the brackets about axes transverse to the main plane of the panel.

The frame of the closure of our invention includes a head and two jambs. Each member has two elongated channels running the length of its inner face and is formed by bending a sheet so that in section it comprises two Us with a common center leg. All three legs of the Us are composed of a single thickness of the sheet. This construction gives an unusually sturdy and relatively inexpensive frame which is adapted to mass manufacture.

In one form of our structure, a track is mounted directly beneath one of the channels of the head on a sill which joins the lower ends of the jambs or as an alternative the track may be formed integrally with the sill from a metal sheet. The movable panel when positioned in the frame rides on the track with the bottom groove of the lower cross member straddling the track and a top cross member of the panel engaging an elongated spring Weatherstrip disposed in the overlying channel of the head. The sheaves engage the track within the bottom groove of the lower member. In one embodiment of the closure of our invention, we provide an elongated housin with an open bottom which is disposed in the bottom groove and which encloses the sheave brackets and sheaves. The lower portion of the housing is constricted to engage slidably opposite sides of the track.

A stationary panel is mounted in the other channel or in an alternative, with the provision of a second track spaced from and parallel to the first track, a second movable panel may be used.

The closure of our invention will be more clearly understood in light of the following detailed description and accompanying drawings. The description and drawings are directed to a window but it is evident that many of the features described and illustrated are applicable to a door.

Fig. l is a front elevation of a presently preferred form of a window of our invention, having a sliding and a stationary sash;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary horizontal section of the window of Fig. 1 taken along line 2-2, showing two interlocking baflles which close the passageway between the two spaced sashes;

Figs. 3 and 4 are fragmentary cross sections of the window of Fig. 1 taken respectively along lines 3-3 and 4-4. In Fig. 3 the movable sash of Fig. 1 is now shown;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary elevation of the sliding sash of the window of Fig. 1, showing in particular the manner of joining the corners;

Fig. 6 is a. fragmentary end view of the sliding sash of the Window illustrated in Fig. 1;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary cross section of a modified form of the window illustrated in Fig. 1, the section being taken through the middle of the window and illustrating in particula a rubber saddle seal and rubber block;

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary cross section of the modified window of Fig. '7

Fig. 9 is a side elevation of 'a sheave bracket employed in the modified window of Fig. 7, and showing the position of the saddle seal relative to the bracket;

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary horizontal section-of the modified window illustrated in Fig. '7; and

Fig. 11 is a cross sectionof amodificationof the head and the jambs illustrated inFigsJ2,

3 and 4.

As shown in Fig. 1, the window is-made upof a rectangular frame II, with a movable panel or sash I2 and a stationary panel I3, both mounted in the frame.

The frame comprises asill .l-6, a top horizontal member or head l1, and two upright membersor jambs [8,19 connected respectively to opposite ends of the-sill and head.

The two -jambs and the head are similar in construction. Each ofthe jambs and'thehead has two parallel channels 22, 23 running .the lengthaof the-inner-face of -each=member anda flange 24. Each member is integrally formed of a single sheet of steel so rolled that in cross-section it. comprises .two U is 'with i a common :center leg. :-All,three legsof *the Us are composed of a double thickness of -.the'sheet, with .the bases of the Us-having a'single thickness. Theflange whichdson the'inner side of the window frame is-formed 'by'extending; an outer thickness of one of the outer'legs rearwardly of the bases of the Us.

In .an alternative, the jambs and the 'head maybe constructedas shown in Fig. '11. -In this-alternative, the rearwardly extending flange is on'the-outerside instead of the inner side of the window and is formed 1 as before -by extending "an .outer'thicknessof one of the outer :legs

rearwardly of 'thebases of the Us. :The outer thicknessofnthe-other one of the outer :legs-is extended rearwardly asshort distance -.to .form a stop 25 for plaster.

.Asshownin- Figs. .3 and 4 the sill, which, also is made of arolledpiece ofsteel, has a top j'sill sectiomZS-which slopes downwardly from the:inner tothe outer side of the Window-and two downwardlyextendingtflanges 21,,28formed integrally'with thesill: section.

The-,stationarysash :or panel (see Figs. '2, 13) has an upper crossmember 30, a .lowercross member 3| of irregular cross section,;and two mullions'135, 36-which are fastened respectively to opposite ends of the lower and upper-members. A pane of glass 31 is held in -.a circumferential groove ,on the :inner :edge or :face of the sash formedof-the cross members and mullions.

The two mullions fand the .upper cross .member-are each fabricated'fromasheet of :steel rolled into ,a U section with" the ends-of-the-legs of the U folded in upon. their respective sides. The :legs and :bases-of the U definethe groove holding the-pane of -glass.

The lower cross member 3| .isintegrallyfformed of a steelsheet'shapedto have an opensloping-bottom,-. a'relatively long'first sidei3-9 lying in a plane parallel "to the plane :ofthe :pane, and E-Sh01t6l".SC0!'ldE-Sid8 40 spacecl from and parallel to the-zfirst side. ,A top portion 4| having a the first side in the plane of the bottom side.

The third portion and the first flange of the .bottom member form a raised step through which .several screws 46 pass, fastening the stationary sash to the sill.

The end 46A of the raised step adjacent to .themiddle of the window is closed,

* thuspreventing the flow of rain along the sill between the stationary and movable panels.

An elongated .bafile 49 (Fig. 2) is held to the outer face of the mullion 35 by a double thicknessmember 50 and a screw (not shown). The baffle extends at an angle from the mullion toward the :movablesashand the jamb Hi. This bafile interlocks with a-similar baffle 19 of the closed movablesash, thereby blocking the-passageway between the spaced: sashes.

Four elastic seals 52 of U-shaped'cross sec: tion are=disposed respectively-in the grooves of the inner edges or faces of the-four sides of the stationary ;sash, with the base of the U abutting the bottom of 'the groove'and with the-legs of the U-extending about halfway'up the sidesof the groove. Theseseals'may 'be-extruded from rubber or other'elastomer. Theseals'of the mullions and of theupper member'are'retained in their respective ,grooves by the foldedein portions of the mullionsand-upper member, i. e. the ends of the legs of the seals about the ends of thefolded-in portionsof the mullions and uppermember.

A mastic seal -53may-be placed over the rubber seals to further 'assure that the sash is weathertight.

The mullions and the top member may be formed integrally and :mitred at the corners, leaving a-metal connection, which is bent until the mitred edges fittQget-her. However, .we prefer to join the mullions and the top memberof the stationary panel with clips '18 (as shown in: the: movable; panel .of.'Fig.-5) which are springy right angled :members having tits 18A, which aresprunginto placeiniholes in the adjacent members at the corners. The lower member is fastenedzatbothof;its:cnds to theimullions by two brackets 10 ,(only :one shown .in Fig. T5) which -.are :disposed 'inside of :the member, with anend ofeach'bracketpextending into the groove of the adjacent mullion. A screw -'l3 fastens each mullion to its associated bracket and -.-two screwsfl I hold .the lowerv member to'the bracket.

The.movable panel or sash (see Figs. 2, 4) is made up :of va :lower1cross member 55, an upper cross member-Stand two mullions 58,'59-which are' fastened-respectively "at opposite ends of the lower and upper members.

The mullionsaand the :upper'member of the movable .sashhave thesamecross sections and are each fformed .of:sheets of =rolled steel as-their counterparts in the stationary panel. The mullions :Of the ;movable ;sash have .slots '(see Fig. {6) at their lower-"ends which zpermitthe straddling of -a track 61 :by' the ,mullionspwhen the sash :is slidably;mcunted thereon.

The'lower cross:member is formed integrally from a sheet-ofsteel rolled into anH,-secti on,so that it has topand'bottomlongitudinal grooves 62, 63. Thereis a;double-.thicknessof the sheet on the sides of the top groove and a single thickness on the sides of the bottom groove.

The movable sash, like the stationary sash, has a circumferential groove encircling its inner edge and in which there are disposed four elastic channel shaped seals 65. The seals are identical with those of the stationary panel and are retained in the grooves of the upper member and the mullions by the folded-in portions of the sides of these members. A pane of glass 66 is mounted in the seals, with mastic 6'! forming a further seal.

Two sheave or roller brackets it! (only one shown) are disposed respectively at the lower corners of the movable sash (see Fig. 5) inside the bottom groove of the lower cross member and inside the grooves of the respective mullions. Each bracket is fastened to the cross members by two screws "H, whose heads lie on the bottom of the groove on the inner face of the bottom member. Each mullion is fastened to its adjoining sheave bracket by a single screw 13 which extends through the mullion and a threaded hole of a lug 15 of the sheave bracket. Each lug is an extension of the top of the bracket, bent downwardly over an open end of the bracket. Each lug is just short of reaching the bottom of the groove of the adjacent mullion.

A sheave 16 is rotatably mounted within each bracket with its axis of rotation transverse to the bottom groove of the lower cross member.

The sheave brackets have a two fold purpose:

Each bracket serves to hold one of the mullions to the bottom horizontal member. Secondly, the sheave brackets when fastened to their respective mullions and to the lower horizontal member, hold the sash on the track.

The mullions of the movable sash are fastened at their upper ends to the upper cross member by the clips 18, L-shaped with the ends of the legs of the L bent inwardly to form the tits 78A (Fig. 5). Each clip is placed around an upper corner of the sash, with the tits respectively inserted into two holes in the outer faces of the upper member and one of the mullions.

The movable sash has a baffle 19, similar to that of the stationary sash, which is affixed to the mullion 59 and extends at an angle from the mullion toward the other sash. With the movable sash in the far left position as shown in Figs. 1, 2, the two bafiles interlock and form a weathertight seal.

The stationary sash is held in an upright position in the front channel 22 of the head and the jamb l9 by two elongated spring weatherstrips 8|, 82. The weatherstrips are made of stainless steel and each has a cross section of a U with diverging legs. The outer ends of the legs are folded outwardly and rearwardly. The weatherstrips are disposed in their respective channels, with the base of the U abutting the bottom of the channel and the folded portions of the legs resting against the sides of the channel. The Weatherstrip of the head only extends from the jamb [9 to a point slightly beyond the middle of the frame, 1. e. only as far as the stationary sash extends.

The movable sash is slightly mounted on the track 6| of a guide member 83 which is fastened to the sill parallel to the stationary sash by several screws 84 which pass through a base 85 of the guide. The guide member is integrally formed from a piece of stainless steel, with the base of the guide having a double thickness of the sheet for a portion of its width. The edge of the lower thickness abuts an elongated bead 26A of the sill. The bead together with the lower thickness assures that the guide will be correctly positioned on the sill. The track lies directly beneath the channel 23 of the head. The movable sash when positioned in the frame rides on the track with its top cross member slidably engaging a spring Weatherstrip B6 in the channel 23 of the head and when in the closed position, the mullion 58 of the sash engages a spring Weatherstrip 8'! of the jamb I8.

The track extends longitudinally through the bottom groove of the lower cross member and the slots of the mullions, with the rotatable sheaves engaging the track. The track has a horizontal flange which in conjunction with an adjacent inwardly extending flange 9! of the lower cross member of the movable sash provides a further weather seal.

The movable panel can be slid along its track from one end of the frame to the other. It should be noted that the Weatherstrip of the head not only serves as a seal, but also as a friction lock for holding the movable panel wherever it is placed along the track.

The window is installed in a structure in the following manner. The frame alone is first positioned in a wall of the structure. The sashes are assembled in a glaziers shop as described above. The several Weatherstrip members may be placed in the frame at the factory or at the site after the frame is placed in the wall.

Next the mullion 36 and the upper member of the assembled stationary sash are inserted into channels 22 of the head and jamb, and with the fastening of the lower member of this sash to the sill by the several screws 46, the sash is rigidly and correctly positioned in the frame.

The sliding sash and guide member are simultaneously placed in the frame. The lower member of the assembled sash is placed astraddle the track of the guide member with the sheaves engaging the track. The upper member of the assembled sash is inserted in the channel 23 of the head, and the guide member with the sash mounted thereon is forced into its proper position on the sill with the lower thickness of the base of the guide abutting the bead of the sill. The base of the guide is then fastened to the sill by several screws 84. Both panels may be readily removed from the frame by simply removing the several mounting screws.

A modification of the window of our invention is illustrated in Figs. 7 and 8. The window is similar to that described above with several modifications which give a more weather-proof window. Only the features differing from the window of Figs. 1 to 6 are described.

In the modified window, a track I00 and sill [Eli are integrally formed from a sheet of rolled steel. The track is covered with an elongated cap 33 of stainless steel to forestall corrosion.

An elongated Weatherstripping housing I05 with an open bottom (Fig. 8) is disposed in a lower groove Hit of a bottom cross member In! of a movable sash I09. The lower portion of the housing is constricted to engage slidably opposite sides of the track cap within the lower groove. This housing encloses two sheave brackets He and their sheaves H2.

The sheave brackets (Fig. 9) differ from those of the window of Fig. 1, in having two opposite longitudinal slots H4 in the sides of the bracket. Each of two saddle members H5 has a head H1 slots ononeotthe brackets withzt'hex'bottoms of two longitudinalr'recesses l.,l 8 of :the saddle .engaging the inner walls :of -thesheaveibracket. The mnenclosed .end "of each saddle tmember abutsthezbottom of 'thexinside grooveofits adjacent xupright mullion. ..-Eachsad'dle member has. two downwardly :extending and spaced legs 120, I2 I .of unequal length which straddle and seal-around the trackcap. .The-elongatedmousing does not .encloseztheztwo saddle: members but extends the length of :the groove between these members, the saddle:memberssealing.the opposite ends -.of the: housing.

.Thestationar-y sash (Fig. .8) {of the;modifie'd window differs from that described :before in that its lower cross :mem'ber is made up of two rolled-steel .pieces I30, 'I3I which'are fastened together-and in that it has no portion comparable to the raised step (defined by the portion 42 and the flange 43 of the stationary sash,'Fig. 3). The piece' I30 has the cross section of an=H with relativelylong lower legs. The-lowerlegs are of'unequal length so that when the stationary sash. is afiixecl to the sloping sill it will-be in ya vertical plane. The other piece [3| .is iormedof-a steel sheet so bent thatwhen placed on the sloping sill-it has a vertical-legal33 which is .iastened to .the innerwall of theshorter-legof .the firstpiece and a second-.longer-leg I34 which extends from the shorter leg of: first sectionz-along .the-sill-to the bottom of the track. The stationary sash is held to the sill by severalscrews 13-5.

The raised step of the window illustrated-in Figs.-1 and 3 prevents. the flow of moisture along the sill between-thetwo spacedsashes. In the modified window, a rubber block 1 31 is fastened to 'thermidsection of thesillbetween the spaced sashes (Fig. shows the positionof-the block relative to two. interloekingbafileslAil, Ml of the closed sashes). .Theblock has a slopingbottom of the-sameangleas the sill so-that when the block is aifixed to the. sillitsupperside lies in. a horizontal plane. Theend of one leg of the track cap. abuts. the. top of .the block adjacent the .track (Fig. 8).

-.'As showninFig. 7, thelongerleg of the. saddle member jatJthelbaille endof theclosed slidable sashengages the upper side .of'the block. .The

lowerendsofthetwo. locked-baffles.(Fig...10) seal against the topof the rubber block,.thereby.completely enclosing the passageway between .the two spaced sashes. To assure apositive .seal between the bafiles of OHIXmOdTfiCdrWI lDdOW,.WB. provide an-elongated'thin springy metal .stripl43 whichis compressed by and betweenthe two locked baflles as shown inFig. 10. The strip .is held to an upright mullion-I'Mof thetstationary sash by the 'bafile' I40.

The modified window is'ins'talled in astructure in a manner similar to thatldescribed above, with the sashes beingfirst assembled inra glazier shop. Preferably, the stationary, panel is first positioned in theframe, and'the rubber block next secured tothe sill. The cap isithen positioned on the track with one of .its legs abutting the topgof the :block. nnd as'ailastzstep ofrthe installations, the ;movable sash is "positioned. in the; frame.

-.We :claim:

.; 1..In :.a V. closure panel, 'the :rcombination which .comprisesxintegral :mullions formed from: sheets IOIIEdiIltOLUuSECtiOnS :so that the mullions have longitudinal. grooves;on theirinside. faces, .albot- 'tomicross member formedintegrally from a: sheet rolled into an Hrsectionso that it has top and bottom longitudinal grooves, roller brackets disposed respectively at the lower corners of *the panel inside the bottom groove of the crossmemher and inside the grooves of-the respective mullions, the bottom member being fastenedto the mullionsby the brackets, and-rollers disposed respectively in the brackets and rotatable about axes transverseto the main plane of the panel.

2. In a closure panel,the combination which comprises mullions'formed integrally from sheets rolled respectively into a U section with the ends of the legs of the U folded in upon their respective legspso that'the mullions have longitudinal grooves on their inside faces, a bottom cross member formed integrally 'from'a sheet rolled into an- H section, so that it'has top and-bottom longitudinal grooves, there being a double thickness of sheet on the sides of one of the-grooves and a single thicknessof sheet on the sides of the-other groove of the cross member, seals having 'vu-sections and respectively disposedzin the grooves of the mullionsand in the'top groove of the bottom member, the seals disposed inthe mullions being of such size that theends of 'their respective legsiabut the ends of thefolded in portions of the "mullions, sheave brackets disposed respectively 'at the lower .corners of the panel inside the bottom groove :of :the lower memberandinside the-grooves of the respective" mullions, thebottom member being'fastened tothe mullionsby-the brackets,.and sheaves disposed respectively in the ibracketstand rotatable :about axesitransverse'totthe main plane ofthepanel, and :a pane mounted inthe severalseals.

MELVINi H. .BEST. CHARLES :-B.:LE9BON, III.

REFERENCES CITED The-followingreferences are of record-in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name ,Date

1,569,602 Anderson. ,Jan.112,. I926 1,737,515 Petersen Nov.l26,; 1929 1,959,148 Axe May 15,1934 2,075,877 .Brown .'=Apr.f13, 1937 2,295,681 Nagel Sept. ,15, .1942 12,373,409 "Myer .Apr. 10,1945 .2;37.4,490 Lehman Apr; 24, 1945 2,511,341 Johnson June,13,.1950

FOREIGN PATENTS Number ,Country .Date

568,824 .GreatBritain 1945 743,146 France r1933 

